VICTORIA -- The Victoria Royals earned a hard fought 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday night at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Carson Miller had a pair of powerplay goals and Gary Haden had a goal and an assist as the Royals handed the Chiefs their first regulation loss in eight games. Brandon Cutler scored the game winner at 12:33 of the third period and goaltender Brock Gould made thirty-one saves for his sixth win of the season.
“It was a tough test for us,” said head coach Dan Price. “Spokane’s a very good team and they’re very well coached.”
The Royals broke the ice at 7:43 of the first period, when on the powerplay forward Carson Miller would fire a bullet from the top of the right circle, beating Chiefs’ goalie Campbell Arnold stick-side. Miller also had a pair of takeaways in the game’s opening seven minutes, showing plenty of early jump.
Gary Haden would get in on the action just 1:05 later, as the 1999-born forward would clean up a Kaid Oliver rebound and tuck the puck in passed Arnold. For Haden it would be his team –leading thirteenth goal of the season, as the Royals took a two nothing lead into the first intermission.
Spokane would cut into the Royals’ lead just 1:56 into the second frame, as Chiefs forward Leif Mattson would score a wrap-around goal on a down and out Brock Gould. The Royals would struggle to regain the momentum following Mattson’s early second period marker, as Spokane would take over the lead in shots and begin to generate a multitude of scoring opportunities.
Later on in the period Chiefs’ star forward Adam Beckman would make his presence felt, as the Minnesota Wild draft pick would tie the game after a rare defensive turnover by Will Warm. Warm would be stripped of the puck by Eli Zummack, which led to Beckman pouncing on the loose puck and beating Gould for his twenty-first of the season.
“The challenge for us tomorrow will be to have a better second period,” said Price. “Two really important turnovers that led to goals against, and offensively, a lot of shots off target.”
Beckman wouldn’t be done there however as the 3rd round pick from 2019 would strike again just twenty-five seconds later, getting his hands on a deflected pass and firing a loose puck passed Gould. Beckman’s twenty-second would give the Chiefs their first lead of the game at 14:44 of the second.
The Royals would head back to the powerplay early in the final frame, as Chiefs’ defenceman Matt Leduc would get the gate for a forearm shiver to the face of Kaid Oliver. This would lead to Carson Miller’s second powerplay goal of the night, as the former Prince Albert Raider would stab home his fifth of the season on a centering pass from Gary Haden.
With the game tied up at threes heading down the stretch, Keanu Derungs would cash in for Victoria at 12:04 of the period after a centering pass from Tarun Fizer would bounce in off his shin pad. The goal would be reviewed, but deemed to have entered the net via an unintentional re-direction.
The two teams would trade goals late, as the Royals would hang on for the 5-4 victory.
For the Royals it would be there seventh win in their last ten games, as the team continues to find its identity nearing the season’s holiday break. Despite facing a number of injuries early in the year, the Royals are finally getting healthy and starting to play some of their best hockey of the season.
Just a few hours before Tuesday’s puck drop, it was announced that Royals’ head coach Dan Price has been given a multi-year contract extension from the team. Price is currently in his fourth season with the Royals, and says signing long term in Victoria was a no-brainer.
“As soon as Cam offered it to me I couldn’t sign fast enough,” said coach Price. “Best players, best assistant coaches, best fans… Honestly it’s a dream come true.”
Price, who has nearly a decade of experience working in the WHL, served as an assistant coach with the Tri-City Americans during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns. He was also a member of the Chilliwack Bruins as their assistant coach for two seasons, and was promoted to associate coach for the 2008-09 campaign. Price also worked as a scout for the Regina Pats from 2003-06.
The Royals will be back at it on Wednesday night when they play the second of back-to-back meetings with Spokane, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05.